A.G. Gancarski
Tuesday’s meeting of the Jacksonville City Council Rules Committee drew a less robust crowd than the one two weeks ago, both in terms of interested parties and interested media.
The highlight: Jacksonville Ethics Commission Chairman Joe Jacquot came to discuss the pending legislation barring texting during Council meetings.
Jacquot noted that, during the Ethics Commission meeting, concern was raised that the bill did not address other electronic communication, and that members would like to see an expansion of that bill, both in terms of broadening forbidden communications and extending prohibition beyond council to other boards and commissions.
Beyond that, a few bills were moved:
- The Joint Participation Agreement bill between FDOT and the city regarding the St. Johns River Ferry grant, voted against in RCDPHS by Matt Schellenberg (Rules chairman), was brought up in the committee. John Crescimbeni explained the need for the bill yet again, rooted in FDOT closing out the agreement after the first half of the total $900,000 disbursement was rendered in July. If the JPA actually is reinstated, the bill will be withdrawn and rendered moot. Schellenberg changed his vote in the light of that narrative so it was unanimously approved.
- Bills regarding recurring maintenance in the Information Technology Division budget, along with refinements to the Capital Improvement Plan procedure, were approved without dissent or discussion.
